Final California 2020 Integrated Report (303(d) List/305(b) Report)

Supporting Information

Regional Board 3 - Central Coast Region

Water Body Name: Pacific Ocean at Butterfly Beach (Santa Barbara County)
Water Body ID: CAC3153200020190116044847
Water Body Type: Coastal & Bay Shoreline
 
DECISION ID
126879
Region 3     
Pacific Ocean at Butterfly Beach (Santa Barbara County)
 
Pollutant: Enterococcus
Final Listing Decision: Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: New Decision
Revision Status Revised
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: Pollutant
 
Regional Board Conclusion: The Water Quality Control Plan for Ocean Waters (“Ocean Plan”) contains two bacteria water quality objectives applicable to the REC-1 beneficial use: a fecal coliform water quality objective and an enterococci water quality objective.

This waterbody is being considered for placement on the CWA section 303(d) List under section 3.3 of the Listing Policy using the enterococci objective.

A total of 2 lines of evidence of enterococci data were evaluated for this waterbody. Two lines of evidence are based on recent enterococci data, collected since 2010, and compared to the enterococci bacteria water quality objectives.

In accordance with section 6.1.5.3 of the Listing Policy, to be evaluated to develop the list, the data should be representative of the critical timing that the pollutant is expected to impact the waterbody. Indicator bacteria (total coliform, fecal coliform, E. coli, enterococci) populations may fluctuate substantially on a daily, seasonal, or yearly basis. Lacking constant inputs, they do not persist in the environment for a long period and effects are of relatively short duration. As a result, the historic levels of indicator bacteria in the waterbody may be a poor indicator of current risks to human health, particularly when more recent data is available to sufficiently assess the water quality standard. Unrepresentative data will likely result in incorrectly placing or not placing a water body segment on the CWA section 303(d) List. This could result in the unnecessary expenditure of public resources or missing a problem completely.

The recent data were collected during 2010-2019. There are adequate recent data to determine beneficial use support in accordance with the Listing Policy. The recent data are representative of existing conditions in the waterbody and represent a range of hydrologic conditions (both wet and dry years).

With respect to the recent lines of evidence, 31 of 366 geometric means for enterococci calculated from 2010-2019 exceed the enterococci objective. For these data, Listing Policy section 3.3 instructs to use the binomial distribution table in section 3.2. Using the applicable exceedance frequency, the number of exceedances is not sufficient to place this waterbody on the list.

Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is not sufficient justification to add this waterbody to the 303(d) list.

The data used satisfies the data quality requirements (section 6.1.4) and data quantity requirements (section 6.1.5) of the Listing Policy.

Pursuant to section 3.11 of the Listing Policy, no additional data and information are available indicating that standards are not met.
 
Regional Board Decision Recommendation: After review of the available data and information, RWQCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should not be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.
 
State Board Review of Regional Board Conclusion and Recommendation:
 
State Board Decision Recommendation: After review of the available data and information, SWRCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should not be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards for the pollutant are not exceeded.
 
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 126879, Enterococcus
Region 3     
Pacific Ocean at Butterfly Beach (Santa Barbara County)
 
LOE ID: 217956
 
Pollutant: Enterococcus
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 366
Number of Exceedances: 31
 
Data and Information Type: PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Water Board staff assessed data for Pacific Ocean at Butterfly Beach (Santa Barbara County) to determine beneficial use support and the results are as follows: 31 of the 366 samples exceeded the geomean water quality threshold for Enterococcus. This is a six week rolling geomean that is calculated weekly.
Data Reference: Data file of Region 3 Beachwatch Data. Includes data from all coastal counties in Region 3 including: , Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Ventura, and San Mateo counties.
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: California Ocean Plan (SWRCB 2019) states that the bacteria water quality objective to protect the REC-1 beneficial for all ocean waters for Enterococci is a geometric mean (GM) of 30 cfu/100 mL. The waterbody GM shall not be greater that the GM magnitude in any six-week interval, calculated weekly.
Objective/Criterion Reference: SWRCB. 2005. Water Quality Control Plan, Ocean Waters of California (Ocean Plan). California Environmental Protection Agency, State Water Resources Control Board. February 2, 2019
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site(s), station(s): WP0000023
Temporal Representation: The samples were collected between the days of 2010-09-07 and 2019-06-10 .
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: QAPP for 2020 Santa Barbara County Beachwatch data.
QAPP Information Reference(s): QAPP for Santa Barbara County Beachwatch data for the 2020 Integrated Report.
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 126879, Enterococcus
Region 3     
Pacific Ocean at Butterfly Beach (Santa Barbara County)
 
LOE ID: 218019
 
Pollutant: Enterococcus
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 99
Number of Exceedances: 21
 
Data and Information Type: PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Water Board staff assessed data for Pacific Ocean at Butterfly Beach (Santa Barbara County) to determine beneficial use support and the results are as follows: 21 of the 99 samples exceeded the Statistical Threshold Value (STV) water quality threshold for Enterococcus. The STV is based on a 10% exceedance rate that is calculated monthly.
Data Reference: Data file of Region 3 Beachwatch Data. Includes data from all coastal counties in Region 3 including: , Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Ventura, and San Mateo counties.
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: California Ocean Plan (SWRCB 2019) states that the bacteria water quality objective to protect the REC-1 beneficial for all ocean waters for Enterococci is a statistical value threshold (STV) of 110 cfu/100 mL. The STV shall not be exceeded by more than 10 percent of the samples collected in a calendar month, calculated in a static manner.
Objective/Criterion Reference: SWRCB. 2005. Water Quality Control Plan, Ocean Waters of California (Ocean Plan). California Environmental Protection Agency, State Water Resources Control Board. February 2, 2019
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site(s), station(s): WP0000023
Temporal Representation: The samples were collected between the days of 2010-09-07 and 2019-06-10 .
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: QAPP for 2020 Santa Barbara County Beachwatch data.
QAPP Information Reference(s): QAPP for Santa Barbara County Beachwatch data for the 2020 Integrated Report.
 
 
DECISION ID
126880
Region 3     
Pacific Ocean at Butterfly Beach (Santa Barbara County)
 
Pollutant: Fecal Coliform
Final Listing Decision: Do Not List on 303(d) list (TMDL required list)
Last Listing Cycle's Final Listing Decision: New Decision
Revision Status Revised
Impairment from Pollutant or Pollution: Pollutant
 
Regional Board Conclusion: The Water Quality Control Plan for Ocean Waters (“Ocean Plan”) contains two bacteria water quality objectives applicable to the REC-1 beneficial use: a fecal coliform water quality objective and an enterococci water quality objective.

This waterbody is being considered for placement on the CWA section 303(d) List under section 3.3 of the Listing Policy using the fecal coliform objective.

A total of 2 lines of evidence of fecal coliform data were evaluated for this waterbody. Two lines of evidence are based on recent fecal coliform data, collected since 2015, and compared to the fecal coliform bacteria water quality objectives.

In accordance with section 6.1.5.3 of the Listing Policy, to be evaluated to develop the list, the data should be representative of the critical timing that the pollutant is expected to impact the waterbody. Indicator bacteria (total coliform, fecal coliform, E. coli, enterococci) populations may fluctuate substantially on a daily, seasonal, or yearly basis. Lacking constant inputs, they do not persist in the environment for a long period and effects are of relatively short duration. As a result, the historic levels of indicator bacteria in the waterbody may be a poor indicator of current risks to human health, particularly when more recent data is available to sufficiently assess the water quality standard. Unrepresentative data will likely result in incorrectly placing or not placing a water body segment on the CWA section 303(d) List. This could result in the unnecessary expenditure of public resources or missing a problem completely.

The recent data were collected during 2015-2019. There are adequate recent data to determine beneficial use support in accordance with the Listing Policy. The recent data are representative of existing conditions in the waterbody and represent a range of hydrologic conditions (both wet and dry years).

With respect to the recent lines of evidence, 0 of 36 geometric means for fecal coliform calculated from 2015-2019 exceed the fecal coliform bacteria objective. For these data, Listing Policy section 3.3 instructs to use the binomial distribution table in section 3.2. Using the applicable exceedance frequency, the number of exceedances is not sufficient to place this waterbody on the list.

Based on the readily available data and information, the weight of evidence indicates that there is not sufficient justification to add this waterbody to the 303(d) list.

The data used satisfies the data quality requirements (section 6.1.4) and data quantity requirements (section 6.1.5) of the Listing Policy.

Pursuant to section 3.11 of the Listing Policy, no additional data and information are available indicating that standards are not met.
 
Regional Board Decision Recommendation: After review of the available data and information, RWQCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should not be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards are not being exceeded.
 
State Board Review of Regional Board Conclusion and Recommendation:
 
State Board Decision Recommendation: After review of the available data and information, SWRCB staff concludes that the water body-pollutant combination should not be placed on the section 303(d) list because applicable water quality standards for the pollutant are not exceeded.
 
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 126880, Fecal Coliform
Region 3     
Pacific Ocean at Butterfly Beach (Santa Barbara County)
 
LOE ID: 218060
 
Pollutant: Fecal Coliform
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 180
Number of Exceedances: 1
 
Data and Information Type: PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Water Board staff assessed data for Pacific Ocean at Butterfly Beach (Santa Barbara County) to determine beneficial use support and the results are as follows: 1 of the 180 samples exceeded the water quality threshold for Coliform, Fecal. The water quality threshold is based on a Single Sample Maximum (SSM) value that is calculated daily.
Data Reference: Data file of Region 3 Beachwatch Data. Includes data from all coastal counties in Region 3 including: , Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Ventura, and San Mateo counties.
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: California Ocean Plan (SWRCB 2019) states that the Single Sample Maximum fecal coliform density not exceed 400 per 100 mL.
Objective/Criterion Reference: SWRCB. 2005. Water Quality Control Plan, Ocean Waters of California (Ocean Plan). California Environmental Protection Agency, State Water Resources Control Board. February 2, 2019
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site(s), station(s): WP0000023
Temporal Representation: The samples were collected between the days of 2015-09-14 and 2019-06-10 .
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: QAPP for 2020 Santa Barbara County Beachwatch data.
QAPP Information Reference(s): QAPP for Santa Barbara County Beachwatch data for the 2020 Integrated Report.
 
Line of Evidence (LOE) for Decision ID 126880, Fecal Coliform
Region 3     
Pacific Ocean at Butterfly Beach (Santa Barbara County)
 
LOE ID: 218090
 
Pollutant: Fecal Coliform
LOE Subgroup: Pollutant-Water
Matrix: Water
Fraction: None
 
Beneficial Use: Water Contact Recreation
 
Number of Samples: 36
Number of Exceedances: 0
 
Data and Information Type: PATHOGEN MONITORING
Data Used to Assess Water Quality: Water Board staff assessed data for Pacific Ocean at Butterfly Beach (Santa Barbara County) to determine beneficial use support and the results are as follows: 0 of the 36 samples exceeded the water quality threshold for Coliform, Fecal. The water quality threshold is based on a 30-Day rolling geomean.
Data Reference: Data file of Region 3 Beachwatch Data. Includes data from all coastal counties in Region 3 including: , Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Ventura, and San Mateo counties.
 
SWAMP Data: Non-SWAMP
 
Water Quality Objective/Criterion: California Ocean Plan (SWRCB 2019) states that the 30 day geometric mean of fecal coliform density not exceed 200 per 100 mL, calculated based on the five most recent samples from each site.
Objective/Criterion Reference: SWRCB. 2005. Water Quality Control Plan, Ocean Waters of California (Ocean Plan). California Environmental Protection Agency, State Water Resources Control Board. February 2, 2019
 
Evaluation Guideline:
Guideline Reference:
 
Spatial Representation: The samples were collected at 1 monitoring site(s), station(s): WP0000023
Temporal Representation: The samples were collected between the days of 2015-09-14 and 2019-06-10 .
Environmental Conditions:
QAPP Information: QAPP for 2020 Santa Barbara County Beachwatch data.
QAPP Information Reference(s): QAPP for Santa Barbara County Beachwatch data for the 2020 Integrated Report.